Humanitarian Emergency Plan Provides For Health Care

Government’s action in the North and South West Regions will also consist in rehabilitating health centers that have been damaged, abandoned or closed down.

Cynthia EFOPA

Since the beginning of the crises that rock the South West and North West regions, the inhabitants have been victims of all sorts of violence and atrocities from the terrorists, this have greatly impacted their health negatively. Instigated by people behind the scene, most of whom live abroad, hordes of arm youths under the influence of drugs, scour villages and rural areas where they kill, rape, loot and extort the population, those who manage to be alive are left with excruciating health problems as they are either gravely wounded or psychologically traumatized, this leave them with a far reaching effect on their health. Many women and girls are victims of sexual abuse, rape, unwanted pregnancies and some have contracted sexually transmittable diseases such as hepatitis, and AIDS. Such is the case of many girls in the village of Belo in the North West Region who are now drop outs and pregnant. So is the case in the village of Menka in the North West Region were terrorists took hostage of a whole village, kidnapped a series of young girls that they used as sex worker and whom they later killed when they (girls) refused to retaliate when the motel used by the terrorists as their base was stormed by the Defence and Security forces.

In their brutal and violent act, the terrorists destroyed health facilities, chasing medical personnel away. Those who are sick have no access to quality treatment. Terrorists who are gravely wounded live with accomplices in hiding and in environment that observes little or no hygiene, they don’t go to the hospital for fear of been tracked down by security forces.  Those who died because they succumb to poor health are buried without with little or no observation to healthy practices. This might probably lead to an epidemic outbreak in both regions and the spread of infectious diseases.

In the face of the insecurity created by the terrorists and its consequences on health, and the government aware of its responsibility to protect its citizens, have planned awareness campaigns on hygiene and sanitation measures to be conducted to reduce the risk of waterborne diseases or epidemics. To ensure the protection of vulnerable persons’ awareness campaigns against gender-based violence, early and force marriages as well as early pregnancies, child labor, drug use will also be carried out. Government will also embark on the rehabilitation of health centers that have been damaged, abandoned or closed down. Essential drugs, vaccines and psycho-social care will be administered to the population. Construction of drinking water and purification points will be installed and the rehabilitation of water catchments and pipes as well as latrine for a proper hygiene aimed at preventing the outbreak of diseases and alleviate the suffering of the population.